Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin today announced that Superior Court juries came back with guilty verdicts in two separate child molestation cases.
Orlando Cruz (age 30), of Central Falls, was found guilty of second degree child molestation. The jury returned the guilty verdict in less than one and one half hours after a two day trial presided over by Superior Court Justice Netti C. Vogel.
During the trial, the State proved that on multiple occasions in 2013, Orlando Cruz molested a nine-year old boy known to him. The young boy reported the abuse to a counselor, who in turn reported it to the Central Fall Police and the boy's mother.
The defendant was remanded to the ACI pending sentencing.
Central Falls Police Detective Jeffrey Araujo led the investigation. Special Assistant Attorney General and Chief of the Child Abuse Unit Shannon Signore prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.
In a separate trial before Superior Court Justice Daniel A. Procaccini, a jury found JamesTebow (age 70), of Pascoag, guilty of one count of first degree child molestation and three counts of second degree child molestation. The jury returned the verdict after one day of deliberations after a two and one half week trial.
During the trial, the State proved that on multiple occasions between 2011 and 2012, Tebow molested a female victim 14 years of age or under known to him. The abuse was reported to a school counselor who in turn contacted the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families and the Burrillville Police Department.
The defendant was ordered held without bail pending sentencing.
Burrillville Police Detective Guy Riendeau investigated the case and Special Assistant Attorneys General Ania Zielinski and Kim Ahern prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.
In responding to the guilty verdicts, Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin noted the importance of dedicated resources to a specialized unit to handle cases of physical and sexual abuse of children. "Our Child Abuse Unit prosecutes some of the most emotionally challenging cases. Those who physically and sexually abuse children use power, influence and fear to intimidate their victims from reporting the abuse. Thankfully, there is a strong system in place for young victims to safely report the abuse, get away from their abusers, get access to the resources they need to recover, and have prosecutors and victim advocates fight on their behalf. I am tremendously proud of the work performed by the Child Abuse Unit not just in the courtroom, but in helping victims and their families recover from the abuse."